Hoops Rumors

Entering Wednesday’s matchup in Cleveland, the Thunder had won 15 consecutive games (not including the NBA Cup Final, which doesn’t count toward a team’s record season record), while the Cavaliers had won 10 straight. It was the first time in NBA history that two teams had faced off with such lengthy winning streaks on the line. In a high-level affair that featured 30 lead … [Read more...] about Cavaliers Notes: Thunder Matchup, Garland, Mitchell

After finishing 22nd in the NBA in pace last season, the Cavaliers are playing at the sixth-fastest pace so far this season, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN, who notes that coaches and scouts around the league are praising new head coach Kenny Atkinson for embracing the strengths of his players while implementing his preferred style. “It’s exactly the way Kenny wants to … [Read more...] about Central Notes: Atkinson, Cavaliers, Ivey, Mathurin

Donovan Mitchell already made up his mind to re-sign with the Cavaliers before last season ended, but he wanted to find a way to turn the team into a title contender, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. The solution he came up with was to sacrifice some of his role in the offense so that other players — particularly Evan Mobley — could get more involved. That strategy has … [Read more...] about Central Notes: Mitchell, Okoro, J. Smith, Dosunmu

Fourth-year big man Evan Mobley is having the best season of his career for the 31-4 Cavaliers and making a strong case for All-Star consideration, as Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com writes in a subscriber-only article. The Cavs have an eye-popping +16.0 net rating when Mobley is on the court, compared to a team-worst +4.4 mark when he sits. “He has taken that step,” Cavaliers … [Read more...] about Central Notes: Mobley, Cavs, Bulls, Giannis, Pistons

With a 31-4 mark, the Cavaliers are tied for the fifth-best start in league history through 35 games. However, they’re not chasing regular season records. Guard Darius Garland told Joe Vardon of The Athletic that his main focus is how well they do in the postseason. “I really don’t think it will (ever) become important (to chase regular season history),” Garland said. “We all … [Read more...] about Central Notes: Cavs, Garland, Vucevic, Giannis, Bucks, Johnson